As is known, State and/or Local Boards of Health typically require that the blade of such slicer machines be regularly cleaned. Whether such cleaning occurs once each day--at the end of the work-day, for example--or frequently during the day, the typical manner for cleaning the blade has been found generally inadequate, leaving much to be desired. As will be appreciated, this results from the way in which the slicer blade is typically cleaned.
More specifically, the conventional manner of cleaning the blade is to first remove the blade-guard, take a cloth or linen rag and bunch it up, dipping it in an ammonia and water solution. The wetted rag is then pressed against the blade in an attempt to clean it while the blade rotates electrically. Experience has shown, however, that whether the bunched-up rag be thus used to clean heavy cheese or lunch meat, or otherwise from the blade, the rag tends to bind-up and snag about the blade--frequently causing injuries to the fingers holding the rag if they do not let go in time when the catching of the rag occurs in this manner. Similar attempts of cleaning, using sponges soaked in this type of soapy solution, oftentimes fare no better due to their being grabbed and then ripped apart as the slicer blade rotates, whether the blade rotates in a vertical plane, or rotates at an upward angle of some 30-45.degree., or so. When it is appreciated that the cleaning of the blade many times takes place just to prevent the products from intermingling--as where the slicer blade is cleaned after cutting heavy cheeses as muenster, and after cutting spreadable meats as liverwurst, the problem of the shredding of the cleaning rag, and the possible injuries to the fingers which hold it against the blade become even more understandable. Experience has shown that it is not unusual for a worker to be cut on the sharp blade of the slicer while attempting to clean the blade, requiring medical suturing to close the resulting wound.